For a long time, cruise line private islands were basically beaches that offered a limited barbecue and some bars. There might be live music and some places to play various sports, but they were very basic.
They also required taking a tender — a small ship that brought passengers from the ship to the island. That’s an inconvenient process that’s slow and involves a lot of standing in line.
Related: Royal Caribbean adds free service to address cruise port headache
Passengers may not have loved that setup, but they didn’t know anything else.
Royal Caribbean changed that when it added a dock to its Perfect Day at CocoCay private island in 2010. That allowed any two of its ships to dock, eliminating the need for tender ships.
CocoCay, which has become the cruise line’s highest-rated destination, changed the game for private islands. It offers a huge pool as well as added-fee experiences including a Beach Club with an upscale lunch and an adults-only area.
Now, Carnival Cruise Line is well into plans to build Celebration Key its answer to CocoCay. It’s also adding a dock at its existing private island as is Norwegian Cruise Line.
Disney Cruise Line and MSC Cruises have also invested in improving their private island.
Come Cruise With Me Executive Editor Dan Kline and PostCard Travel Planning co-owne Dennis Post shared their private island throughs from Norwegian’s Great Stirrup Cay private island.
Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian bet big on private islands (2:08)
Private islands have been greatly improved
Transcript:
Dan Kline: Hello, cruisers. I am Dan Kline, executive editor of Come Cruise With Me. That is comecruisewith.com and comecruisewith.me. You already know that. We are the most read cruise website in the world.
Sitting next to me, here at Great Stirrup Cave, with the famous Norwegian lighthouse in the background. Don’t think it actually works as a lighthouse.
We want to talk a little bit about, this is Dennis Post. You should have introduced Dennis. We want to talk a little bit about private islands.
So, this is a sort of a relic of a private island, as we have to take a tender. That won’t be the case soon. That’s a small ship that brings you from the ship.
Most private islands are docked.
Dennis, can you explain how cruise lines have made private islands more a part of the experience, and how large the ships are? Yeah, so, now that they have, a lot of them have piers now, so they can take up to two ships usually. Make it easier to flow to go on the island.
Dennis Post: Modernization, swimming pools, other activities and stuff out there. Which is amazing. This one, like you said, it’s an older island.
There’s still some niceties about it. It’s simple.
Kline: So, it’s very crowded here.
There are two ships here. But something that we did is done that’s really nice, is there are little carts dotted all about. There’s one right over there that just sells hot dogs, or gives away hot dogs.
There’s a Starbucks cart, there’s a water cart. So, there are some long lines, but you don’t have to wait long lines. And because the big ships can’t stop other places, you’re seeing Royal Caribbean building a second Perfect Day day at Costa Maya.
You’re seeing the beach clubs they’re building at Cozumel. They’re building a beach club in Cozumel. They’re building a beach club in Nassau.
Basically, these are heightened beach days. If you like the beach, you’re going to have a good time. If you don’t like the beach, instead of complaining about how the islands are no longer pristine, you just stay on the ship.
No one’s at the ship. The pools are empty, the bars are open. Dennis, any final words? Yeah, that tower behind us is a staple for Norwegian.
Post: That’s their zipline tower and Guy Harvey painted. Guy Harvey, the godfather of the Norwegian escape. Let me spin this around here real quick.
I can show you what we’re looking at. There’s your beach for you. Yeah, you cannot do better than this.
Take a look at the beach. I am Dan Kline. He is Dennis Post.
Come cruise with us soon.
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Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me’s Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at [email protected] or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
